Pasta sauce tastes exactly like canned chef boyardee. Bland fake Italian food for the local masses who don't know any better. Fried chicken? I'm so confused... read more

Love their chicken, fried mushrooms, salads and much more! They have a wonderful selection to choose from in the bar!

We were so disappointed I cannot even begin to say. They were not busy, but made us sit right next to the bar. We could hardly hear each other over the speakers and had to ask them to be turned down three times. Each time the "waitress" agreed that they were pretty loud. The pasta was ok, and the chicken was dry but edible. We had gone specifically for the chicken as it had been recommended. There are many places to get better chicken in Central Illinois. In short, try somewhere else. read more

We live in Sacramento, CA. My wife and I visited family in Washingtoon, IL between October 6, 2009 and October 12, 2009. We wanted to eat dinner at an establishment there that was casual and nice. Everyone we spoke to recommended Bernardi's. The chicken was especially touted as being second to none. We arrived at approximately 7 p.m., and we were told that there would be a 15 minute wait. We adjourned to the bar and had a cocktail. Ten minutes passed and we were told that a booth in the bar was available, and we were seated. When our server handed us our menus it was almost impossible to read them because the lighting was very dim. After some assistance and some recommendations from our server we ordered the fried mushroom appetizer, a half carafe of wine, and our choices for dinner which were pasta/chicken dishes. The wine and the mushrooms were served within a reasonable amount of time. We ate our mushrooms and drank our wine, and then we waited and waited and waited. Then we waited some more. Our server was nowhere to be found, and when she finally reappeared she asked if we would like another carafe of wine. I told her that we would rather have our dinner as we had been waiting quite a long time. She told us our meals would be ready very soon, and she disappeared again. In total, 55 minutes passed and our meals had not arrived. We stood up, and we left the "restaurant". I told the cashier that we would pay for our wine and mushrooms, but we were not interested in eating anything else as we had waited an inordinate amount of time for our entrees to arrive, and we were very unhappy with our service. Almost immediately a woman who I assume was some sort of manager approaced me. She said, "It is impossible that you waited 55 minutes for your meal, and I can prove it to you!!" She produced a "receipt", and she said, "You have only been waiting 35 minutes for your meal!! And by the way, it looks like your meal is ready. Here is your server right now!!" I know 55 minutes had passed because I looked at my watch when our order was taken. I can only assume that the server waited 20 minutes before placing our order. Now, if Bernardi's were equivalant to a five star restaurant, I could almost understand the wait. But for a bunch of noodles and boiled chicken to take any longer than 20 minutes to be served is absurd. Besides, this place has a captive audience. In a town of 10K people, there really aren't many choices when it comes eating out, and sadly enough for the residents of Washington, IL Bernardi's is one of them. I give Bernardi's one star because I can't give them ZERO stars. read more

Very good, casual family Italian dining. They have daily specials, and it is very affordably priced. I still have to laugh at the little mini bowls of chopped lettuce that Central Illinois calls a "salad." Other than that, awesome! read more

I have to agree with Tony H. The salad is hardly worth calling a salad. Besides the salad, the Italian food is just mediocre. But, most of that can be contributed to the fact that it is Southern Italian. Southern Italian sauces are more like gravy than marinara or meat sauce. They cook the sauce until it is no longer bright red from the tomatoes. The fried chicken is good, but not great. read more

I must say I was a little disappointed. It's dated and for a well established Italian place, I think they are relying on their reputation rather than their quality. read more

I went with a big group once, and it was horrible. I gave them another shot with friends, and again, I had a bad experience. The pasta tastes cheap and bland. The prices are too expensive for the food you get. Try Avanti's instead. read more

Mediocre at best. Less than average Italian fare with very little flavor. It's a very popular, local hang out but I think it's more for the bar than the food. The last time I was there, I had the baked mostaccioli and all I can say is meh...it was edible. The bread is really good, but I didn't like having to pay extra for the salad. read more

Love the atmosphere and the staff here. The food is consistently great! The ground sirloin steak is so juicy, it's my favorite!

There with a large group a couple years ago. Food bland. Service OK. Price too high for what you get. Have eaten several times at sister reataurants Bernardi's and Mona's in Toluca. Good food and service there. This one, meh. read more

Atmosphere is mediocore. The food was good but nothing overly special and the past two times of been there the food has made sick later, but only me out of my whole family so maybe it's my own problem. read more

Been there a few times, food is always very good! Waitstaff is so-so. They never remember to take my digital coupons that they emailed me off of my check. Best fried chicken my husband said. And my kids were thrilled with the giant pretzel! We had to wait on drinks a few times. read more

A family friendly spot that we have frequented for many years. The atmosphere is a little old school and a tad loud, but the food--WOW!! I have never had anything on this menu that I didn't love, and I have tried it all. Their red sauce is absolute perfection!! Their menu has something for everyone. From grilled fish to fried chicken, pasta, and everything in between they never disappoint. Even carry out orders are hot, fresh, and correct every time. Great appetizers and drinks. I cannot say enough good things about Bernardi's!! read more

Food is great and inexpensive. I had the fried chicken special, it was cooked perfectley and came with a potato, salad, 1/2 chicken, and a side of their spaghetti. I cannot believe I ate the whole thing, but it tasted great, the service was efficient and friendly, the decor was nice but nothing too special. read more

The food and service here is fantastic! We were treated to some incredible appetizers by Washington, IL, Mayor Gary Manier (one of his favorite restaurants) and they were superb! The gouda cheese bites and sausage are to die for, along with their grilled caesar salad...they romaine lettuce is even grilled, mmmm, I get hungry just thinking about this place again! We will be back! Very affordable too! read more

If I had the choice to give them zero stars, I would. I ordered meatballs and stuffed mushrooms. Not a hard order? Right? First of all, my order was an hour late. My food was cold....the meatballs were dry and tough and inedible...my dog was barely able to eat them without needing water right away. This is the second time ordering from them. Last time I got the "famous" pretzel which was bland and HEAVY and dry. I will never order from them AGAIN! STAY AWAY!!!! Ur better off going to McDonald's!!! read more

Amazing food! The staff is great, the food is a little pricey but in all in all its all worth it.

This has been my favorite restaurant since I was a kid! They food is always really good & fresh! Serve is always excellent as well! The only problem I've ever had is the hosts (who are usually the owners or relatives) are usually rude and bothered to be there. If you can get past them it's an awesome place! read more

Love this place, had it when I was home, I had to get the combination of tortellini and spaghetti and I made my dad get the fried chicken so I could have a piece. It reminds me of when I was a kid and driving to Toluca and eating at Mona's with my parents and grandparents. read more

I really love the gizzards here! They are the best I've had so far. The atmosphere is also great and the restaurant is very clean. I really like what they've done with the outdoor seating area, which is a new addition. I have been going to Bernardi's since I was a kid. The only complaint I have is with the pasta. I ordered fettuccine alfredo last time I went for lunch, which was very bland. On my previous visit, I ordered the shells florentine, which were quite dry. The staff is usually friendly. On my most recent visit however, a server named Bailey brought us out small plates for bread and there was something on the plate and rather than getting us a new one or ignoring it, she wiped her finger directly on the plate to get it off and then walked away and then started scratching the back of her thigh, which was bothersome considering she was just touching my plate with her bare hands and could've been doing that right before the incident. Anyways, the buffet is only on Thursday afternoon I believe and it looked very good. I will definitely have to try the buffet next time I go. read more

I went to Bernardi's for the very first time on Sunday. The decor was nice and the service was great - no complaints there. I ordered 3 things: the kickin shrimp, a side salad, and 4 meatballs. The shrimp was okay. The server wasn't able to tell me if the bacon that the shrimp was wrapped in was pork bacon or turkey bacon, nor did i have an option as to what type of bacon i was served. There was no sauce drizzled on this as indicated by the menu and it was served with an odd corn something salad. It tasted like shrimp wrapped in bacon with corn on the side. Not much of a kick to it at all, but edible. Who knew this is the only thing I was going to eat. $7.95 Disappointment #1. The second thing I got was a dinner salad. Nothing special, just the regular salad you get with your dinner so my expectations weren't very high for such a basic order. When it arrived it was SMOTHERED in dressing. Could i have lettuce with my salad dressing, please? There were 2 tiny carrots and the rest was regular iceberg lettuce, drenched in dressing. I couldn't even finish the salad because there was so much dressing smothered on it. My bad for not asking for it on the side? I actually took the piece of lettuce used for garnish for my kickin shrimp to add some green to this salad and i still coudn't eat it. $2.35. The last thing, meatballs. These were completely DISGUSTING. These had obviously been frozen and seemed to of been made into a paste that was shaped round, drenched with terrible sauce, and topped with a tiny bit of cheese. The sauce was bitter and disgusting. I expected these meatballs to be edible and unfrozen. 2 meatballs = $4.95. $9.99 for my order. I even tried a bit of my boyfriend's dinner. He ordered fettucini a la bernardi with chicken. His chicken was also pasty and frozen tasting. I wonder if this place sticks their meat in blender, stick it in a pastry bag, and squeeze it into meat shapes. The noodles were tough and rubbery as if they too had been frozen or cooked for 10 hours. Needless to say, he didn't finish his dinner, either. I was starving by the end of our dinner. We went to Michael's down the road and I got 12 meatballs and a real salad with real green lettuce (and dressing on the side) for less than $10. read more

Have been going to Benardi's since it opened! Before that, Mona's and Capponi's in Toluca, IL, where it all began. Everything is wonderful at Benardi's from the atmosphere to the food to the people. A neighbor, Kayla, sometimes waits on us and gives us a hug, making us feel at home. Even had a stranger, an 80 year old fella buy me a glass of wine! A few weeks later, I saw him in there and did the same! Point is, they make their pasta, sauce, dressing, and WOW that fried chicken! Sometimes its hard to stray from the favs on the menu, but for sure, never had a bad meal or experience. My kids love it, wife and I love it, its a family staple....even when we can't go (you can buy the dressing, pasta, sauce in the local grocery!) read more

Excellent Experience! Meal was excellent and service was spot on. We ordered gnocchi, chicken alfredo, and baked tortellini. All meals were cooked perfectly and had plenty of flavor. Excellent bread throughout the meal. We started with the stuffed mushrooms and they were phenomenal. Even came with some bread cubes to soak up the leftover garlic butter. Found our new favorite Italian place in the Peoria area. read more

Waited over an hour for a to-go order. Finally after asking twice about my order, I was told they were out of the white meat chicken (my Wife's meal). The kid told me the owner was in the back but she would not come out. I have had so many screwed up orders that I will never be back. Good luck if you go, be prepared to be disappounted. read more

Same food as Mona's in Toluca. Problem is they are way too $$. Same great salad and fried chicken.

The food and the service are excellent, and the price is modest. The interior has been recently updated, and several great new items added to the menu. read more

This is a Washington IL staple. The town wouldn't be the same without it. Congrats on 15 years of great food and great drinks. We were there last night and was well taken care of by our waitress Jessica. As usual we were not disappointed. If you haven't ever tried it or any of their other locations please do you will not be sorry read more